Same
by aya-kun
Summary: years pass...yet...he remains the same.


5 Years Later…(the present)

_______________________

_"Damn Britannian."_

_"Tch. You're just a Number."_

_"Why you..."_

"Lelouch…"

_______________________

"Zero. We're coming in." Karen slid her card in the lock and the door slid open. Taken aback by the darkness, she turned a questioning glance at Nunally.

Nunally frowned and preceded first into the room before Karen. When the door closed and she was sure no one could overhear, she said, "Suzaku-san?" There was no answer. Nunally tightened her grip on Karen's hand. Her friend took the signal and switched on the lights. The front room was empty.

Sounds coming from the bedroom told them where Zero –no, Suzaku was. Karen pushed on Nunally's wheelchair as they headed for it. When the door opened, the only light came from the screen of the television. Nunally saw that Suzaku had his back to them and seemed to be sleeping by the looks of it.

The princess held back a gasp and covered her mouth to silence the cry she wanted to make. Karen, surprised by the reaction, pushed the wheelchair further in and saw what had caused it.

On the screen were three children and an adult. Two of the children seemed to be fighting. The camera's angle was off center as if it was hurriedly placed down. Karen could immediately recognize Todou. He was the one trying to end the struggle. Nunally, so small and lost sat on her inexpensive and manual wheelchair, leaning dangerously forward as she shouted at the two boys on the ground.

Karen pressed her lips together as a well of emotion threatened to gush out. It was what must have been a typical scene back then. And it was exactly like she'd imagined. Lelouch had always been weak in sports, except horsemanship. She saw now that it always been so.

She continued watching. Lelouch and Suzaku didn't get along obviously when they were children. Karen had always been curious how they even became friends.

The reason became clear when on the screen, Nunally had suddenly fallen just as Todou had separated the two boys. Both boys had immediately gone to help Nunally sit up. They dusted her off as Todou righted the wheelchair fro her. He lifted Nunally back on it. Lelouch and Suzaku followed and anchored themselves on both sides of the wheelchair. _Like knights protecting their princess, _Karen thought, smiling sadly at the past.

The present Nunally motioned her chair back bringing Karen back to the now. She took the hint and they left Suzaku's room.

"I…" Nunally cleared her throat. Karen pretended not to notice. "I wonder how he got a hold of those. Todou-san had told me that Kururugi-san, the last prime minister, had had them destroyed before Britannia attacked."

Karen said what Nunally must've been thinking, "That guy. He must've saved it." And judging by the stack she'd glimpsed on his table, he'd saved more than just one. Suzaku really was a nice guy. She only wished…

_______________________

_It had been a year since Lelouch's death. Karen and the others had done what they had to do. Everything had already been planned out after all._

"_That Lelouch…He really is great." Ougi smiled awkwardly when he said it. She and the others had to agree with the statement however._

Lelouch…_Karen had been amazed at first by the depth of Zero Requiem as Nunally had called it –as Lelouch himself had named._

"_Of course he was. He was the man who fooled the world for the world's own good." Laksharta blew out smoke from her pipe. Her face an emotion of smug admiration, but the tightness around her eyes showed her real emotion, an emotion Karen felt as well. Anger._

_She was mad Lelouch had trusted and told only to a select few of his plan. Mad that she couldn't see his intentions. Mad that they had to lose him. Mad that it really was the best thing to do. That fact above all, was what brought out most of her anger. That it was for the best. That everything was for the peace they now had._

_Karen still couldn't forget Nunally's cries that day. Even though the princess had grown strong and began smiling not soon after her brother's death, Karen could always see the tear trails, had heard the silent sobbing Nunally made when she thought no one was there._

_She'd even gotten close to the elder sister, Cornelia because of their mutual worry for Nunally. Karen saw how Cornelia also grieved. And every time she looked at herself in the mirror those first weeks, she saw herself grieving. But now she was pushing forward. It was what Lelouch must've wanted them all to do._

" 'Everything according to plan'_…huh," Karen said softly. Everyone heard and remembered. Lelouch, as Zero, had always said those lines. She'd often wondered and even now, with her learning and seeing the end details of the Zero Requiem, if Lelouch could see the future. His eyes, his mind, his very self had always looked to the future though remaining grounded by the past. He'd predicted, seen, supposed, decided …all so that everything would go according to plan. So that the outcome was what he wanted, was what he knew everyone expected…and sought._

_Zero moved slightly and all was brought out of their thoughts. Schneizel took the sign and all resumed their discussion._

_Zero watched and listened. _It's happening, Lelouch. Everything…according to plan.

_______________________

1 year ago…

"Zero," Karen called.

Most of those who'd been there that day, strapped down to be executed were in the room with her. Cordelia, her knight, Guilford and the science group as Karen had come to call them were present as well.

Todou spoke up when Zero refused to turn to them. "Zero. Don't you think it's time you showed your face." Everyone had their suspicion since all could only think of two possible people who could play the role of Zero, who would know the role Zero had to take and become.

The screen before them suddenly showed the words, _You already know who I am. Why should it matter that I show my face?_

Karen frowned. Zero had made only one click and yet the words where there, pre-typed and ready for all to read.

"Zero. Please. We have a right to know," Karen said. Nunally moved her chair to the side of Zero but said nothing. Karen and the others knew that Nunally knew more than she let on but refused to say anything, only ever explaining that now wasn't the time. Since she had said nothing of what they were doing, was now the right time?

Zero turned to Nunally who looked back, her face neutral and calm. A sigh came from him and Zero finally turned, his hand pressing a key again.

_You guys have changed._

"He must be right," Zero spoke. For the first time without the familiar depth and emotion, just the man behind the mask spoke.

"Of course he is," Karen said after a moment. She realized now it was Lelouch who'd spoken through that text. "We never questioned who he was before." _That guy even predicted this._

Nunally smiled and took hold of Zero's hand.

"But I haven't." They grew puzzled at that but he said nothing more. Zero placed his hand on the mask and it lifted. Removing it, everyone remained in silence, surprised. Even Nunally.

Suzaku was before them, smiling tiredly as they took in the unchanged face, the same adolescent structure. He was right. Suzaku didn't change. Even Rivalz, the last time Karen had seen him, had grown more into an adult despite the same silly grin and attitude. Nunally had grown into a lovely young woman.

Time and work had aged them but Suzaku still remained the same. He still remained seventeen.

" '_Forever.'_ "

_______________________

The present…

Karen only wished…that Suzaku would change. Did geass really have the power for him to 'live on'…forever? Or was this caused by what Nunally had tried to explain as the world of C.

A/N: Aye, I like drama. XD as in the theatrical gasps, the high drama of the revelation, the present-super past-past sequence…haha. Excuse me if it was too much. ^^: and ended so abruptly.


End file.
